Mail receiving and delivering apparatus.



No. 860,571. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. H. G. ROBINSON.

MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1907.

noentoz Witnesses m. 860,571. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

H. e. ROBINSON.

MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PER. 18, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(fia -(viii Win/woo No.860, 571. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. H. e. ROBINSON.

MAIL RECEIVING AND'DELIVBRING APPARATUS.

. APPLICATION FILED ran. 10. 1901.

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awozntoz l/vflmzmo 1. am. "um- 1- HALE G. ROBINSON, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO.

MAIL RECEIVING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed February 16, 1907. Serial No. 367,714.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HALE G. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and Improved Mail Receiving and DeliveringApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to a stationary catcher to receive mail bags frommoving cars to devices carried by the cars for delivering bags into thecatcher and for tak ing bags from a stationary device preferably forminga part of the stationary catching apparatus.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are hereinafter morefully set forth in connection with the detailed description of theaccompanying drawing which illustrates exemplifying structures embodyingthe invention, and in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view partly in elevation and partly insection of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stationarycatcher and bag support; Fig. 3 a vertical section of the same; Fig. 4 aplan view of the partof the invention carried by the car; Fig. 5 is afragmentary edge view of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 an edge view of the car catcherarm Fig. 7 a detail view of the cross bar, and, Fig. 8 a detail of thejaw for holding the bag.

-8 a frame-work, 9 supporting means for the upper end of fixed tube 4carried by the frame-work, 10 a platform on the frame-work, and, 11 thegeneral designation of locking means carried by receiving chute 5 and bythe platform at two different points consisting in a preferredconstruction of a beep 12 carried by the chute, staples on the platformand a pad-lock 14.

The flange 7 and the lower end of tube 6 fitting in tube 4 form a swivelconnection so that chute 5 can be 18 are locking devices which may besimilar to those already described in connection with the chute forsecuring the arm 16 in either of its two positions.

1 19 are projections at the end of arm 16 for suspending the Referringfirst to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, reference numeral 20 is the generaldesignation of receiving and delivering mechanism carried by the car. i

21 is a doorway, 22 lugs on the side frames of the doorway, 23 a crossbar secured in lugs 22 by linch pins 24, so that its position can bereversed by removing the pins turning the cross bar bodily over andreplacing the' pins, 25 a catcher arm pivotally connected to cross bar23 at one end by means of a hollow pivot 26 through the bar of which oneof the linch pins 24 passes, 27 a projection on arm 25 limiting itsoutward movement by contact with the door-frame of a part of the lug 22,28 the outwardly curved end of catcher arm 25, 29 a cleft thereindividing the end of the arm so that the two parts thus formed can besprung apart and the cord, ring, or other device, connected to the bagrepresented by the numeral 30 placed in the cleft, 31 a recess formed byproperly shaping the inner end of catcher arm 25 between the arm andcross bar 23 so that the caught bag will wedge in place.

35, 36 are holes in arm 25 and cross bar 23 respectively; 37 a linch pinwhich may be inserted through the holes when the catcher arm is in itsoutward position to hold it in place, 38, 39 are holes in the catcherarm and cross bar respectively, and 40 another linch pin which may beinserted through the holes when the catcher arm is inactive position tohold it in place.

In operation, supposing the ear to be moving in the direction of thearrow, Fig. 1, chute 5 is swung and locked in the position shown in thedrawings and sta-' tionary arm 16 is swung out toward the track andlocked in position. The bag to be caught by the ear is then hung on theprojection 19 pointing in the direction in which the car is moving andthe mail clerk on the car inserts the cord or ring attached to themoving bag in the cleft of the catcher arm 25 whose end is pointed inthe direction in which the car is moving and is swung outwardly in theposition shown in Fig. 4. As the car passes the chute the curved edge 5of the chutes mouth encounters the suspending device wh ch is snatchedfrom the cleft in catcher arm 25 and the bag by its momentum passes intothe mouth of the chute and around the curved portions 6 and 4 of thestationary catcher, its momentum being gradually absorbed by thecurvature until it is discharged into pit 2 with relatively littleforce. The slant face of the catcher arm 25 thereafter encounters themiddle of the stationary bag which folds over the arm and is removedfrom its stationary support and by inertia is carried back until itwedges between the catcher arm and cross bar 23 and may be removed bythe mail clerk.

It will be obvious that if the car is moved in the op- .posite directionthe chute may be swung around to the opposite position, the stationarysupporting arm correspondingly adjusted and the cross bar 23 andconnected parts carried by the car, reversed in position. Where trainscustomarily move in a single direction over a single track there is nonecessity for providing the swivel connection in the stationary catcherand this swivel joint may be omitted. The precise form of the curvatureof the stationary chute is not essential. The curvature may be variedconsiderably in order to properly absorb the momentum of the caught bagand prop erly deliver it into the pit.

Various modifications may be made in my invention without departing fromits spirit.

I claim:

1. In devices of the character described, a chute for receiving packagesfrom a moving train, having a fixed tube comprising a horizontal partand a curved part, andv a movable tube comprising a horizontal part anda curved part, the tubes being pivotally joined at the ends of theircurved parts.

2. In devices of the character described, a stationary tubular memberhaving a horizontal part discharging into -a pit and a vertical partcurved to join the horizontal part,

and a movable receiving tube having a horizontal part and a verticalpart curved to join the horizontal part and pivoted to the vertical partof the stationary tube, and

means for locking the movable tube to receive packages" from trainsmoving in different directions. 3. =Apparatus for receiving packagesfrom moving trains comprising a receiving tube and a discharge tubesubstantially horizontal and joined by curved tubes having curvaturesaggregating 180.

4. In mail receiving and delivering apparatus for cars, the combinationof a cross-bar, a catcher arm having means for supporting a bag to bedelivered, and means for reversibly supporting the arm in relation tothe bar to receive and deliver bags in either direction of movement ofthe car.

5. In devices of the character described, a stationary curved chute forreceiving packages from a moving train, supporting devices in a cardoor-way, a cross bar, a catcher arm pivoted to the bar, means forsuspending a bag from the end of a catcher arm, and means for reversiblysupporting the cross bar and related parts in the door-way.

6. Apparatus for receiving packages from moving trains comprising a tubehaving a substantially horizontal part with a flared mouth and aninwardly curved upper edge, and having a curved portion serving toabsorb momentum of moving packages, and a masonry foundation in which apit below the track level is formed to receive packages and into whichthe curved portion of the tube opens at sub stantially the level of thetrack.

7. The combination with a car doorway, of brackets on the side frames, across-bar secured to the brackets by linch-pins, a catcher arm pivotallysecured to one of the brackets by a linch-pin and having a projectionlimiting outward movement and having a cleft end serving to suspend abag the parts being constructed so that the catcher arm may be reversedand attached to either bracket to serve for either direction of movementof the car.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HALE G. ROBINSON.

Witnesses HENRY .T. BEELSTEIN, CHAS. FIEDLER.

